Infrastructure

Meru Wind Farm Project Moves Closer to Reality

Kenya has secured project funding from the Japanese government.

Updated on

March 12, 2024

A hybrid renewable energy plant. PHOTO | FILE

The long-awaited Meru Wind Farm Project is likely to begin soon after the Kenyan government secured funds for the project from its Japanese counterpart.

During his recent state visit to Japan, President William Ruto secured Sh15 billion in funding for the project, projected to bolster regional economic growth.

In his remarks on the matter, Joshua Mungania, the Meru chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed gratitude to President Ruto for proactively addressing the county’s power needs.

“The chamber of commerce welcomes all investors in Meru. A power project worth Sh15 billion will be a game changer in terms of employment and infrastructure,” he said.

Meru Wind Power Project, which is expected to be Kenya’s first hybrid renewable energy plant, has remained in the planning stages for many years, but a lack of finances has hindered its commencement.

A hybrid renewable energy plant typically refers to a facility that combines multiple sources of renewable energy to generate electricity.

The construction of the Meru Wind Farm, which combines wind, solar PV, and battery storage, was scheduled to begin in 2020, with operation due by 2024.

However, this timeline was not realized.

80 megawatts

According to the project investors, the Meru Wind Park will provide up to 80 megawatts (MW) of clean, sustainable renewable energy, consisting of up to 20 wind turbines and more than 40,000 solar panels.

The facility is expected to power over 200,000 households.

The wind farm will be developed under a public-private partnership, and the Meru County Government, through the Meru County Investment and Development Corporation (MCIDC) will own part of the project once it is operational.

Power purchase agreement

The electricity generated by the project will be supplied to Kenya Power through a power purchase agreement, the specifics of which are yet to be made public.

The Meru Wind Farm Project is owned by Eurus Energy Holdings, MCIDC and Windlab Pty Limited. The owners have a 33.33% stake in the project, respectively.

Eurus Energy, a subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, specializes in diverse renewable energy generation, including wind and solar photovoltaic.

On the other hand, Windlab brings to market atmospheric modeling and wind energy assessment technology initially developed by Australia’s CSIRO.

The Australian-based energy firm prides itself on developing the world’s first utility-scale hybrid renewable energy project, Kennedy Energy Park in Australia.

In August 2019, the Kenyan Investment Authority (KenInvest), MCIDC, and the investors signed a memorandum of understanding in Japan, advancing the project with provisions for capacity building and knowledge transfer.

“We are excited to bring world-leading innovation in the renewable energy sector and project development expertise to Meru County, Kenya,” said Roger Price, Windlab’s global chief executive.

Hideyuki Inazumi, his counterpart at Eurus Energy, said, “The flagship Meru County Energy Project will be one of our first projects in the region.”